Container for packaging

ABSTRACT

This utility model regards trays or containers made from thermoplastic material for food packaging. 
     Some trays or containers have partitions that divide them into two, three or more compartments on the same level, to hold different products, but they are all sealed with the same sealing film. 
     This invention aims at obviating the above limits and issues, with an innovative method of packaging and sealing several different or identical food products. This invention is intended to meet the requirement of packaging several products in the same container or tray, without coming into contact with one another during shelf-life or, different portions of the same product that can be opened and used in sequence and at different times.

In packaging food products, especially for large-scale distributors, different shapes and sizes of thermoplastic trays or containers are already widely used. They are produced using single or multi-layer film thermoforming or injection moulding. In general, these trays or containers have only one compartment for one product and are sealed by means of a sealing film positioned and fixed on the corresponding edge.

However, these containers entail some problems due to the complexity of simultaneously putting food into the different food compartments, which may have completely different features and volumes, requiring specific packaging machines. In addition, when removing the sealing film, all the compartments are opened and all the food products are exposed even when they are not to be used or consumed at the same time.

This objective is reached by means of a thermoplastic container or tray according to claim 1, configured with different superimposed compartments for layers of different or identical products. The compartments on the different levels are sealed individually so that they can be opened and the packaged products accessed, first the top one and then the lower compartments, so that each compartment remains sealed until actual time of use.

The packaging of products in different compartments on different levels offers the advantage, content being equal, of limiting the space occupied by the container when it is horizontal, compared to other known containers for the simultaneous packaging of different products, such as the above-mentioned multi-compartment containers which occupy more horizontal space. This method also reduces costs compared to monolithic packaging that can contain other packs that are also sealed.

The container proposed herewith is convenient in particular, but not only, for the packaging of fresh food products, such as salami, cold meats, cheese or speciality foods in a controlled atmosphere. It can be rectangular in shape for packaging cold meats or circular or oval depending on the type of product and, for instance, in case of food that has to be separated from its seasoning. Especially with tomato-based seasoning or sauces which are highly oxidizing, the separation from other ingredients allows an increase in shelf-life. This is a strategic condition for the success of packaging and cost determination as well as for an increase in quality and fragrance.

This invention will be described below in greater detail, with reference to the attached diagrams where:

FIG. 1 shows an example of a rectangular, empty, container divided into several superimposed compartments with parts of compartment sealing films;

FIG. 2 shows a partial cross-section of the container in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 show other shapes of a multi-compartment container. The container in question can be rectangular, circular or oval in shape and is always made up of a body (11) in thermoplastic material obtained with known moulding or forming processes. The container body (11) is configured to have at least two compartments (13, 14) internally, on as many levels, and a top edge (12). The body (11) has a lower or bottom compartment (13) and at least an upper compartment (14).

Although the drawings show a container with two single superimposed compartments (13, 14), there could also be three or more, and the bottom compartment (13) could be divided, if necessary, into different compartments (15) as shown in the example in FIG. 4.

The compartments are, in any case, defined in height by the corresponding steps along the side walls of the container—FIG. 2, with an intermediate step (16) every two consecutive compartments starting from the lower compartment (13), one step and/or stacking notches (17) on the upper compartment and a closing surface (18) defined by the edge (12) of the container body (11).

Compartments can have different or identical capacities and will be filled up individually and closed in sequence, starting from the lower one (13) to the last upper one (14) through a series of operations to be carried out using a normal filling and heat-sealing line with stations positioned in sequence, one per each product. This is not possible for currently known multi-compartment containers.

The/each intermediate step (16) is therefore for support and sealing the sealing and closing element or cover (19), at the end of the filling process, of the compartment beneath the upper one. This closing element (19) shall be obtained by thermoforming or simply by pre-punched coil film. In turn, the top compartment, after the desired product has been delivered, is closed with another final sealing element (20), which has tear-tape (21), positioned and sealed on the sealing surface (18) on the edge level (12), for instance by using a traditional coil film sealing and cutting head (22)—FIG. 2.

The use of “peel-off” material for the container or intermediate and final sealing films usually available can improve product usability.

In particular, the container in FIG. 3 can be adopted for the packaging of main courses with vegetables, while the container in FIG. 4 can be used for the packaging of pizza with different garnishes separately packed in the different lower compartments. 

1. A container comprising: a thermoplastic body including at least two compartments, one of said at least two compartments being an uppermost compartment being above another of said at least two compartments being a lower compartment for containing different or identical packed products on different levels, wherein said compartments on different levels are sealed individually and can be opened at different times to use the packed products, from the uppermost compartment down to the lower compartment, wherein each of said compartments can remain individually sealed until actually unsealed.
 2. The container as in claim 1, wherein said at least two compartments are defined in height by a number of steps along the side walls of the container, with an intermediate step every two subsequent compartments starting from the lower compartment, one step and/or stacking notches on the uppermost compartment, and a closing surface defined by the top edge of the container body.
 3. The container as in claim 2, where each lower compartment is closed and sealed individually by a corresponding element or closing cover positioned and sealed on the/each intermediate step, and the upper compartment is closed and sealed by a closing cover or element positioned and sealed on the edge of the tray or container body.
 4. The container as in claim 3, where the closing element of each lower compartment is a pre-punched film or thermoformed lid, and the closing element or lid of the uppermost compartment is an element produced by a non-stop coil.
 5. The container as in claim 1, where said superimposed compartments have different capacities.
 6. The container as in claim 1, where the lower compartment is divided into different compartments.
 7. The container as in claim 1, where the body is rectangular.
 8. A container comprising: an individually sealed first compartment; and an individually second compartment on a different level than said first compartment, wherein said first compartment and said second compartment can be opened at different times and can remain individually sealed until actually unsealed. 